Users share digital images such as photographs and videos using sharing sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Picasa, Shutterfly, Flickr, Photobucket, Pinterest and Snapfish. Many posted images are intended to be shared only with specific parties or groups. However, private photos and other personal data posted to sharing sites are subject to unintended leakage to non-authorized viewers. Sharing sites typically require privacy and other security settings to be configured by the user (e.g., user selects public or private mode for shared content). This is prone to error, as many users do not have a complete understanding of the different privacy level settings. Even those users with a higher degree of sophistication are subject to human error, especially where different privacy settings are desired for different shared content on multiple sites.
Furthermore, many users do not adjust privacy setting at all, and assume that the default settings provide adequate protection. Sharing sites, even those that encourage users to update security settings, have a vested interest in users sharing content. Therefore, the default settings do not necessarily provide the privacy level users actually desire. The same can be true of any onsite instructions directing user configuration of privacy settings.
It would be desirable to address these issues.